Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-15


Detail and synopses of the Closing
speeehes-Recoraer Matthews To BE
Kejeefed-Ca Capital Items.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. l5-The senate
Friday non-concurred in the house amend
ments to the bill for holding United States
court in Bay City, Mich, and asked for 4
conference The house INSTITUTED East Sag
NAV 4 bill was introduced granting ar
rears to Prisons drawing special pensions
in certain cases The conference report on
the militia bill was agreed TO. IL reduces
the appropriation for state militia to 500,
coo, instead of 5000 viii h the senate
propos ID. Ths senate then resumed co1sid-
Grafton of the interstate commerce bill. The
debate, was participated in by Hoar,
Sherman, Aldrich, Morrill,, ingalls,, Spoonar,
Plat and Morgan in favor generally of re-
committal. The speeches were to the same
purport as those heretofore made-the OBJ
lection being to the long -and-short haul
clause ami the prohibition of pooling. All
the speakers with this view favored action
on the subject, but thought this bill too
crude, and unworthy of congress. Einluuds,
Wilson of Iowa and Cullom favored the con-
ference bill, and Cullom closed the debate
with vigorous argument in its favor. 1t
was li.30 D. m before the
vote was reached on the motion
to recommit, and the motion was defeated
yeas, 25; nays, So The vote was then taken
on the adoption of the report and the vote in
favor was over whelming, much 10 the sur
prise of those who had made attempts to
foretel it. The vote was--yeas. 43; nays,
is, and the senate Immediately adjourned
until Monday.
The debate on the interstate commerce
bill was extended, as in Heated above, by the
time vote was reached over eleven hours
being consumed by the senators in giving
their final expressions. Hoar said the move
ment which had resulted in this bill was
popular one twenty years old, and had his
hearty sympathy and official support from
the beginning so far as it was in favor of
cheap transportation AMI of regulating the
conduct OF the great railroads in those things
which affect the convenience of the people.
He had helped in 1854, to frame the first I'M
portant bill on the subject which had pass-d
the house of representatives. That bill had
encountered the opposition OF the old states
rights doctrine, and of strict party vote
And when he heard the other day the sena-
tor from Kentucky IBeckl charge those who
wanted to make the pending legislation just
AMI reasonable as acting in the interest of
the railroads he felt like replying to him as
the worthy old deacon replied to the too zeal
Gus convert, that he had noticed that young
Christians We're good deal like bumble-bees,
much the largest when first Matched. His
objection was to the Shorthand long haul
clause and the anti-pooling clause, which he
thought would strike down fair competition,
and were entirely evil in their import
Sherman, while believing that no bill had
ever had more general support, both in and
out of congress, AMI stating that if his vote
would defeat legislation on the subject by
this congress he would not vote as he now
intended, put in an earnest plea for its re-
committal, which he said he would not de-
feat action, but produce better bill, with
the objectionable features eliminated. The
fourth section he thought would destroy the
export trade OF the country.
Edmunds would vote for the report. If
the foreign export trade of the country
should be hampered by its provisions con-
gress could be trusted to remedy the trouble;
but legislation like this was not only for the
benefit OF the people, bet for the railways
also
Aldrich held that the fourth section would
injuriously affect the western grain growing
states by excluding their products from the
markets of the world, and Morrill, said his
Judgment was that if the bill should pass, its
effect on the Central and Union Pacific rail-
ways would be such that the government
might as well give up the idea of collecting
| the Indebtedness Of those companies to it, as
| the governments security for that debt
would be wholly invalidated
Ingalls, made a characteristic speech He
| declared the bill was notification to those
| who are duplicating railroad lines that that
process must stop. There were other matters
| in the bill more fatal than the fourth and
fifth sections. He regretted that he had to
vote for the bill, and he thought there were
many other senators in the same condition.
1t was bill which practically nobody
wanted, but which everybody intended to
vote for [MerrimentI 1t was bill which
nobody was satisfied with, but which every
body intended to accept. [Laughterl Hav-
| ing given sufficient reasons why he shouitl
support the bill, he was prepared to yield tc
q motion for its recommittal
Speoner urged the necessity of making a
| fair effort to improve it. If. after the effort
was fairly made, an agreement could not be
had he was willing for one to try the bill as
| ii was.
Cullom rose to close the debate. He warned
senator's that for the last ten years the pao-
| pie of the United States had besn struggling
TO assert the principle that the government
has the power to regulate commerce Ii the
| conference report was not agreed to, be be-
| lieved it very doubtful if there would be any
legislation on the subject at this session. He
| had read, among others, a telegram from the
New York board of trade and transportation
| to the effect that there was a substantial con-
currence of opinion in tho board that the
pending bill was the bsst measure the coun-
| try was likely to get, and 1t should have a
| fair trial.
| Dawes and Gray stated their objections to
the bill (which were the same as those Of
other senator's, while agreeing with its gen
| eral purpose Il
The presiding officer having stated the
| question to be on agreeing to the conference
report, Frye moved to recommit the report
with instructions to the senate conferrees to
| insist on striking out section and snbsti-
tuting section of the senate bill; also on
\ bub SeCLiDil anu lot 10
section 10 of the senate bill (which is the clause
authorizing the commissioners to investigate
the subject of pooling and report at some fu-
ture day. Cullom made point of order on
the motion to recommit, and after discussion.
the president pro tenn, Sherman, ruled that
| the motion to recommit was in order, but
not the motion to recomsnit with instruc-
tions. Frye then changed his motion to the
simple one to recommit. Mr.. CHllom said
he should regard the vote on tbs motion to
recommit as a test vote on the question
The vote was then taken on the motion to
recommit and it was rejected-yeas, %
nays, rs, as follows:
Yeas-Aldrich, Blair, Brown, Cameron
Chsee, Cheney, Evarts. Frye, Gray, Hale
Hampton. HawIey, Hoar, Malone, Mitchell
of Oregon. Mitchell of Pennsylvania, Nor
gan, Morrill,, Payne, Platt, Sawyer, Sewel
Sherman, Spooner. Williams-25.
Nays-Alison, Beck, Berry, Blackburn
Bowen, Call Cockrell, Coke, Colquitt, Con.